The Cafe at National Coal Mining Museum for England in Wakefield

Came while the underground tour wasn't available due to renovation/improvements. However the behind the scenes tour and the time tunnel were excellent. Guides for both were experienced miners and had good stories and knowledge to impart. I would definitely recommend the behind the scenes tour for their input

We meet here nearly every Sunday. It would be better if the cafe was re-opened.

Such a great museum, so many fun activities to get involved with over the year and all staff and volunteers are so friendly

Lot's to do and see We did the time tunnel and found it very informative The staff were very helpful The weather was freezing but we still had a good time It was sheltered on the nature walk which we enjoyed A good visit into our past Thank you

The Time Tunnel at the museum relates the history of mining. Staffed by ex-miners, the history is very interesting and informative. The museum is free, but there's a small charge for the Time Tunnel which goes to the museum's upkeep. The main building details the hardships endured during the Miner's Strike of the mid 80s. Lovely play area for the little ones to let off steam. A really enjoyable day out.

Went on Saturday 8th March 2025 for a guided tour of the water treatment works, where iron-bearing ochre is removed from orange mine water from up to six miles around. We were then treated to a presentation by artist Louise Ann Wright, who uses the powdered ochre to create painting materials for her work. Two very well presented and captivating events rolled into one. I’ve visited the museum a good number of times in the past when my daughter was growing up, and every visit has been an absolute pleasure. A very well run site staffed by enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff.

Absolutely loved our visit here today, not our first time as we all love it here. Great information and exhibitions. The staff are what makes this place and really being that era to life, explaining detailed knowledge of mining in it's entirety. The staff are a real credit to this whole place. We always put donations in as we want this place to keep going forever! Thanks again for a great day out!

Rob was a great tour guide for the Time Tunnel, well worth a visit, definitely coming back in April when the underground tour is open

All great, just need to sort exit signs out..

Huge shoutout to Biker Joe—he was absolutely lovely and reminded me so much of my grandad (he was an old school miner with a really unique sense of humour) The experience was so authentic but eye-opening at the same time, and having such a genuine and relatable guide made it even more special. Thank you. It’s an experience I’ll never forget:-)

Visited with our toddler today, great informative exhibitions and the park, train and woodland walk were brilliant. Something for all ages. Really friendly staff. Will definitely visit again! The only downside was the cafe is currently closed, so the only choice was a toasted sandwich van outside. A cafe serving hot food or sandwiches would be ideal.

A really good cheap day out.really interesting.

Many people across the UK have miners in their family history, recent or otherwise. This museum shows the good and bad sides of the industry- camaraderie and community to disasters and conditions of the work. The volunteers there are very friendly and knowledgeable, worth a chat. The Memorial is very moving. A must visit museum.

The volunteers really know their stuff, very entertaning will go back when the main pit has reopened

Great staff who were so friendly and helpful. Would definitely return!

Visited to do the STEAM club experiments with Victoria. Had an amazing time doing First Aid and making antiseptic ointment. Can't wait till the next one. Thanks for making it inclusive John

Had a great trip to the national coal mining museum. Unfortunately the mine tour was closed for maintenance but the alternative tunnel tour was good. Kids enjoyed the park and the horses. 5 stars, will visit again.

A brilliant place to go, I rememeber going on school trips here, it was always informative and exciting.

A really crucial, important part of the UK's heritage that is often overlooked, the NCMM is a huge boon in that sense- the site has a number of former miners who work as guides around the entire (massive!) colliery site - a really wonderful mixture of industrial heritage and some nice green and blue spaces that are great to wander around - probably even nicer when it's not a foggy, freezing cold morning!

It was a great experience and the staff were brilliant The man who brought us down the cave was nice and also very funny

Seven adult friends spent a whole day at this fascinating former colliery. First of all we looked round the site, including visiting the ponies and nature trail. Then we did the informative and interesting Time Tunnel tour, which gave a great insight into coal mining and how it changed between 1842 and the early 1980s. After lunch (thankfully we'd taken our own, as the café was closed down), we looked around the exhibitions, in which such coalminer qualities as camaraderie, spirit, loyalty, courage, teamwork and humour were emphasised. We then did the Capstone Colliery surface (i.e. not underground) tour. Both tours were led by former miners, who really brought the colliery to life by sharing their memories, experiences and stories. Every former miner I spoke to said he missed being a miner, particularly the camaraderie, and all of them demonstrated a real sense of humour. All the staff and volunteers were welcoming and knowledgeable. This visitor attraction was busy when we arrived and is really missing a trick by not having a modern café with high-quality hot drinks and food (e.g. homemade or homemade style - i.e. not manufactured - cakes with barista coffees). I hope they decide to reform the former café and reopen it. Coal mining is an important part of this country's heritage and it's great that this museum is there as a reminder of just how tough, but also rewarding through the camaraderie and community, life as a miner used to be. Highly recommended.

Sadly, the museum has taken a big step backwards. The play area for very young children, which was located near reception, has been dismantled. There is nothing to replace it. We have visited with our youngest grandchildren regularly for a period approaching 10 years, but now there is nothing for them. It was a wonderful area that stimulated imaginative play, and we met many who had travelled many miles (from as far away as Chesterfield) with their children or grandchildren. Added to that the cafe is now closed so our visit today with our 4 year old granddaughter was a disappointment. While I appreciate that the play area had little to do with mining or its history, it did spark interest in the museum that stayed with them as they grew older. I think the museum is shooting itself in the foot, as it will most certainly reduce footfall over a longer period. Very disappointing.

Brilliant place for the whole family

Wow! Worth seeing. Even without access to the mines due to works on the winding engine, this museum has much to offer. From the history of coal to the nationalisation of the industry to the strike of 84-85 to the demise of the industry this museum has it all. Excellent exhibits and multimedia features. Fantastic water color gallery by artist Arthur Lockwood. Kind and helpful staff. Put this museum on your list to visit!

Fantastic experience for young & old. The underground tours are taken by ex-miners and their passion for it shines through - this was my 2nd visit and we plan to visit again!

Beautiful scenery, lovely walks,good food,friendly staff,souvenir shop,brilliant museum

Lots to see on surface (though mostly outside so requires warm weather) plus paid-for underground tours lasting around an hour.

Superb tour you won't get more experience than from those who experienced it as a job. Unfortunately like most of "Great Britain" the site may be here for 100s of years but the lads that worked it won't. Go see it whilst you still can before some go woke pencil pushes says it's too dangerous

Had a amazing time here. Definitely recommend the underground tour. The staff are super friendly and very knowledgeable. Our guide was brilliant . Definitely worth a visit

The National Coal Mining Museum is a must-visit! The underground tour, led by former miners, is both fascinating and eye-opening. The exhibits are informative and engaging, offering a deep dive into mining history. Friendly staff, a well-maintained site, and a great café make it an excellent day out for all ages. Highly recommended!

Fabulous place to visit Wish it was open more days! Highly recommended

Cool olace to visit. Lots to learn and do. Small train rides and horses. And the deep mine.

Fab place that highlights our rich cultural history with coal mining. Seeing Santa underground is a different experience and very enjoyable. Highly recommend a visit.

Went for Santa Underground. Brilliant as always, my kids loved it. Going 140 meters underground to see Santa and his elves in his grotto.

We had an awesome experience, Colin was a great guide, knowledgeable and hilarious. I had a panic attack on the lift going down into the pit and when we got to the bottom I told Colin that I didn't think i could go in to the mine...he convinced me to try at least for a little bit and if I still felt anxious he would get me out. Because of his reassuring demeanor and honest manner I was able to go in and after a while let go of most of my anxiety and was able to enjoy the tour with my children. The mine tour itself was really interesting and I formative, and being in yorkshire on holiday, it felt like a necessary experience to understand and honour the work of miners

Santa underground was brilliant, kids loved it

Had a brilliant time ,lots to see and do,took the underground tour with Mick as our guide, what a lovely man ,and so patient with our grandaughter Rose, would definatly recommend a visit .

Would highly recommend a visit!! Me & my 8 year old son went on the underground tour & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! 140 meters underground sounds like alot & it is! But when you are down there, you just forget how deep you are as you are engrossed within the tour. Big shout out to Eric our tour guide underground!! What a knowledgeable & friendly guy he is.. gets everyone involved, even my son lucas & another visitors child, or as he called them "Ant & Dec" 😂👍 great guy! Great time! Tour lasts for around 1hr 15mins with other things to visit surface level. All the staff are great & really friendly so yeah great experience!!

This was a really good experience, we went in the mine there was a lot to see and the tour guide Mike was excellent host down the mine. We ate lunch in the reasonably stocked/priced cafe and then went on to the winding wheel and again, Alan was a great host and had lots to talk about as his time as a miner and the local area we were visiting. Well done to Mike and Alan We really enjoyed our visit and recommend you do too.

Fantastic day out for all the family

Fantastic museum, knowledgeable staff always friendly. The canaries were nice too!

Took the old man for his birthday. He used to be a miner back in the 70's and seeing his eyes light up was perfect. We took the underground tour which was fantastic. Really sheds a light on the industry. Felt much more connected to my ancestors after seeing what they did to keep the lights on.

Great place. Brilliant for kids.

Took my girlfriend and it was highly informative and yet fun and enjoyable but it was definitely ment for young kids

Great experience! Super interesting, very reasonable and Gaz was a standout guide. Highly recommend :)

Really interesting day out. Grandkids loved going underground.

Told my mum if we could go here because in my test in school one of the main questions was about mines

We are French and passionate about mining and this museum is surely one of the most complete. It covers all aspects of the mining world (the mine in the daytime, the mine underground, child labor, horse work up to mechanization as well as pollution issues). The immense museum site includes a collection of artifacts complete with usage diagrams and information, as well as a processing station, a real coal mine and a stable. You have to plan the whole day to do everything, which makes it a great playground for everyone. A huge thank you to the work of the volunteers.

Really good will be going back great staff and tour guide Colin

The guides made our day, especially the underground trip. Mining is really dangerous and hard work, but those people love their job.

Visited November 24, our underground tour guide Joe the biker had excellent knowledge of the mining industry which he shared in an entertaining and informative manner. Thoroughly enjoyed the visit, we need to support the museum so we preserve the memory of the mining community.

Great guided tour down the mimes. We paid £15 for two of us. Plenty of parking there was also a second tour going round the old shower block which we jumped on the end of. Lots to sonplenty to see.

Fantastic family day out, the tour down the pit was fantastic. Highly recommended!

A lovely park . Lots of things to do

Absolutely fantastic day out with the kids. The underground tour at 7.50 each was well worth it. Many places charge silly money putting it out of the reach of people. My kids loved it and haven’t stopped talking about their day trip for the last few days. Even the Mrs who was apprehensive about going down the mine loved it. Hope this place never changes. Thank you for an amazing day out

Absolutely brilliant day out. Educational and informative. Highly recommended to all. All the guides were experienced ex pit men, knowledgeable and entertaining, especially our underground guide Mick and Alan in the steam winding engine house. Chatted for ages about life underground.

A very interesting place for the family (including dogs) is free to enter, including parking. You just need to pay if you take the coal mining tour (not for dogs). Cafe on-site.

What a fantastic day out, I 100% recommend a visit - you won't be disappointed! There's soooo much to see and do. A venture underground is a must as you can't go to a mining museum and not go 'down't pit', our guide Mike was absolutely amazing. Most of the staff are ex-miners and are more than happy to tell you tales from their time working there (or at other nearby mines). I came away genuinely proud of my native Yorkshire's coal mining history after learning about the challenges and struggles the mines and miners faced. Admissions is free and it only costs £7.50 PP for the underground tour, which is well worth it. We'll definitely be back as we didn't get a chance to fully explore Hope Pit!

I've been visiting here since it opened and loved it as a child, even going darn pit to see Santa. We've visited many times over the years, and always have a fantastic day, but yesterday was the first time I've taken my own children down the pit. Russ Jones was our guide and his knowledge and humour absolutely made the tour. You could clearly see how much mining meant to him and the kids (and us) absolutely loved listening to him and learning from him. My Grandad was a coal miner and it was nice to learn about the things he would have done. The museum displays and interactive sections are great, we always love a visit to see the memorial and the ponies and the kids really enjoy the park. The food in the cafa is lovely too.There are always different things going on and yesterday we made lanterns for the parade at the end on the month. You can easily visit here and not spend a penny but I encourage anyone who does visit to donate because they rely on donations and they are very much deserved. A fanatastic piece of local history and a definite recommendation from us.

The National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield, Yorkshire, offers an immersive journey into the heart of coal mining history, led by former miners who share their firsthand experiences. Visitors can descend 140 meters (about 460 feet) into an actual former coal mine in Caphouse Colliery, outfitted with hard hats and lamps. These tours, running for about 75 minutes, take guests through the damp, dark tunnels, where they experience the same pathways that miners used to navigate for generations. As each guide shares unique stories and insights, visitors gain a vivid sense of what life underground was like, including the labor-intensive conditions miners faced from Victorian times through the industrial era. The museum also provides rich learning opportunities above ground. Families can explore exhibitions on mining’s technological evolution and see the powerful machinery once used in the pits. Visitors are invited to stand on a reinforced glass-topped furnace shaft, peering down to the mine's bottom, or to visit the Miners' Memorial Garden and the museum’s resident pit ponies, which served as vital labor animals underground. Other family-friendly activities include an outdoor playground and interactive displays that make the visit engaging for all ages. While entrance to the museum is free, the underground tours require a nominal donation, which helps support the museum's preservation efforts. Tours operate Wednesday through Sunday, with pre-booking recommended to secure a spot, especially on weekends and holidays. This journey is both educational and moving, preserving the legacy and resilience of Yorkshire’s mining communities. For more details on visiting, check the museum's website or guides such as Top Dog Days and the official museum page.

A fantastic afternoon looking around the old colliery. Lots too see and do for all the family. Great underground tours that are worth going on, the guides make the experience more fun +

Wonderful experience. I must say I was a little apprehensive about going down the mine but I am so glad I did. JOE our guide on the 10am tour was fantastic. He explained everything and was very caring . The tour lasted about 1 and a half hour but the time passed quickly and I was sad it came to an end. You get to appreciate what the miners life was like and how hard it was for them. Joe was funny and I got to find out that alot of the sayings came from the mine like shut your trap. If you want a great day out this is it.oh a word on the Cafe food was great

A fantastic day out! I would highly recommend this museum. We had a guided tour from Russ down the mine, it was amazing

A fascinating tour of the mine with my seven year old son and five year old son. Our tour guide, Colin, did a fantastic job - he captured our interest with his expert knowledge about explosives. Highly recommend!

Superb guided underground tour by our guide. 1hr 20mins, so be prepared. Really made it as close to the way it was without being too sanitised. Cafe was very busy so either take a lunch or go for breakfast to see you through!

We had another fantastic day out at the National Coal Mining Museum! The gentlemen running the small train were absolutely delightful – so friendly, happy, and a real credit to the place. Their enthusiasm made the train ride even more enjoyable and set a great tone for the day. They have a good amount of patience needed foe that job. The facilities for younger children were excellent, with plenty to keep them engaged and entertained. Parking was reasonable, and the museum has everything you’d want for a memorable day out. It's the perfect spot for both adults and kids, blending fun and learning with fascinating insights into the coal mining history. Between walking around the beautiful grounds, exploring exhibits, and participating in activities, we learned so much about times gone by. Highly recommended for families and anyone looking for a unique, educational experience that takes into the account the cost of living crisis.

Amazing experience of going down into the pit! You cannot take anything with a battery in it but lockers are available. Takes about an hour & a quarter. Definitely an experience worth taking. Everyone is friendly & helpful. Toilets, cafe, museum, train, nature walk, shop. You could spend a full day here.

Loved visiting the Coal mine museum, my 8 year old loved going down the shaft and taking the tour.

Always enjoy the place and the realistic experience. Good collection of equipment, could spend hours there myself. Very experienced team of volunteer guides.

Had a great Underground experience with guide JOE explaining everything would recommend anyone to visit this place.

Great day out for the children. You can visit the mines by lift, take a tour via train. Please check before attending as these are not always available. Access to site including parking is via optional donation. Interesting buildings and areas, each location has a fact or opportunity to learn. Main building has large cafe with sandwiches and cooked food. Mining ponies located towards the back of the site. Adventure playground is fun and well maintained, good for children. Site is large, and not all paths are easily accessible with some changes in elevation. Excellent place to visit with the children. Can highly recommend.

We visited yesterday, and absolutely loved every minute of it. The Underground tour is a must. Our guide - Mick - was a lovely chap, larger than life, very knowledgeable and great with the kids. Thoroughly recommended!

Great place to visit if you have a interest in mining.. free too and things for kids to do, the underground tour is a must..

Brilliant and mostly free. Even the underground tour is only 8 quid. The on site cafe is one of the best I've tried.

The staff were very passionate. A warm welcome and a lovely cafeteria. Unfortunately we could not come by in the weekend as the engineer would start an impressive piece of machinery.

Fantastic visit! Our guide Mick was very entertaining and shared a lot of information with us we really found it very interesting!

Lovely place to visit. It's important to keep our heritage alive with places like this. The new cafe was a lovely addition

This is a fabulous place to visit and you should do the underground visit too. We should all remember the coal mining industry and appreciate how important it was as well as how stupid it was to destroy it.

Absolutely brilliant. The history of our coal mining is demonstrated perfectly showing experience of 100s of years ago originally employed people (including young kids and women) and it shows genuine later massive equipment underground and the guys leading us around underground were very brilliant and kind and good.

Good day out very interesting, would highly recommend going

Awesome underground tour. Great guide and good experience.

The people working there were brilliant, a lot of them ex miners and knew what they were talking about by sharing their experiences working down the mine. You can also get the chance to go down a mine on a guided tour, brilliant experiences. I booked online. Just to make sure of a place.

The miner Colin was very good at communicating his knowledge of the pits and mining. To be underground in a real pit was a moving experience. It was enhanced by 2 other miners were on the tour and saw some of the comradery between all 3 miners / colliers. It was inspiring to be told by Colin that research is being done at this pit into using heat from deep mines to power homes and other buildings. This is an encouraging way to use the legacy of the pits, Brilliant day.

What an eye opener, finding out about how some of my ancestors earned a living perhaps back to Victorian era. What a superb tour guide Ian Joel was. His knowledge of mining was immense. He was funny, informative beyond belief, and mostly a Yorkshire man who experienced working down the mines himself. Very nice to understand the reality of it. Lovely. Thank you Ian for letting us know about the dangers of mining and its history.

Was down at holmfirth with work mate went along to see the mining museum glad we did did tour at 11.45 guide was joe a couple of kids on tour also and as kids do asked the questions as adults we might not ask great day out and thanks again from 3 support workers from glasgow

So much to see and do for all ages. The guides are very friendly and knowledgeable.

A really good day out, educational, respectful and fun, we booked the underground tour and TC was such a fantastic guide, couldn't ask for more when learning about local history!

Brilliant museum. The underground tour was fascinating. Aiden was a brilliant guide, it's wonderful to hear of his first hand experience of working in a mine.

Fantastic day,down the pit tour a must but book in advance really interesting.

It has been quite a while since last I was here. I remember the trip down the pit was a great experience. The cafe was equally as good with plenty of good quality food. Now I'm afraid it's a dump with very expensive very poorly presented food :- sausages over done rock hard and inedible, £8.50 for small sausage roll and chips, pies run out by only 1.15pm, small mainly crust quiche tasteless and over cooked and hard under heat lamps. In all, the food was very poor and very expensive for what you get The only decent thing was staff who were working very hard and were very helpful. I will not be returning as I feel ripped off and badly done to.

Great educational class! Friendly staff, wonderful play area and free parking. Didnt get a chance to do the whole underground tour. We will come back again for sure!

This was a great experience. Highly recommend. Book the tour that takes you deep underground where you can see the actual coal seams still exposed. I learned a lot of things that were rather surprising especially about the young workforce from so long ago. Our guide was a very experienced miner and also very friendly and able to answer any questions I had.

Brilliant experience would recommend everyone to go at least once. I took the kids about 20 years ago and thought it was good but all these years on the experience has been the staff there are so passionate about what they do. When I retire fully I may consider volunteering there as it is so good

I visited with my granddaughter. We took the underground tour. Also we rode the paddy train.

Wonderful museum about the history of the mines in this region. The museum is free, but if you want to go down 140 meters with the tour, it costs £7.50, but it is definitely worth it. Our tour lasted an hour and a half and was on difficult terrain

Very friendly staff, my experience with Steve a former coal miner, life long Leeds United supporter and proud Yorkshire Tea lover ☕😂 was amazing.

I won't list endless details...just go if you have the opportunity. Coiln was our tour guide on the last tour of the day and he was brilliant. Shared lots of his own experiences as a miner and answered loads of questions. We took our 7 year old, who only complained once in just over an hour underground. For the small charge of tour entry, and additional £2.50 for the narrow-gauge railway, its a great way to spend 3 hours.

Absolutely brilliant place for all the family. Loads of fun for kids of all ages and plenty of fun history to read. Not just an old coal mine it is really interesting.

Had a very interesting and informative visit here. The underground tour in the mine will explain the life of the early miner and his family up until the present day, your guide being an ex-miner himself. It’s quite an eye opener! Obviously you’ll see the exhibits and original buildings from this disused mine and also an interesting gallery devoted to the 1984 miner’s strike and the hardships they went through and how it pulled some communities together and divided others. There’s many well informed guides to assist and answer any questions you may have. Excellent cafe here for snacks and meals. Free to enter but you pay a reasonable set donation to join the underground tour.

Not a huge amount to see but interesting. Did say it was dog friendly, but be aware that's only outside, even the cafe didn't accept them. We had to sit outside, with no cover. It was chilly and windy and my salad got blown off my plate, and napkins off the table. The food wasn't very hot, or very nice. Go to the many local cafes or farmshops, much better value . We couldn't as my husband had a mine tour booked. Cakes all bought in.